Diet and Combat Sports

The best diet to help your body recover after combat sport training
Taking part in combat sports can put serious strain on the body – that’s why all athletes who participate in these activities should ensure that they have a healthy balance of nutrition in their diets.
One of the best ways to keep on track and monitor your food consumption is by keeping a daily log. This will help you to see whether or not your body is receiving enough protein and carbohydrates, as well as other essential nutrients like vitamins, iron and omega fats. A healthy, efficient diet plan is important if you want to get the most out of your combat sport training regime.
To prevent your body from losing muscle or gaining fat, you need to know how many calories you are consuming and burning each day. Naturally, if your goal is to gain muscle, you must eat more calories than you burn. However, if you want to lose fat then you need to keep a close eye on your diet to make sure your burn more calories than you take in. One great way to keep track of your calorie intake is www.myfitnesspal.com
I like this because you can not only keep track on your computer, they have a nice android app that works well with the bar code scanner app so that instead of typing in all the nutritious information, you can just scan the bar code on whatever your eating and it will fill it all out for you. ( No, Im not lazy I’m just practical =)

Emulate the pros
Professional athletes and amateur enthusiasts usually eat a meal every three to four hours. By giving the body a constant supply of fuel, you are helping your muscles to recover from your workouts. However, unlike the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner routine, these meals are generally small and low in fat. Since you will be eating more meals than most people (typically 5 or 6 a day) you should make sure the food you eat is relatively low in fat and high in protein and complex, slow-releasing carbohydrates.
These complex carbohydrates can be found in popular everyday foods like breakfast cereals, pasta and brown breads. Because they are digested slowly, the body has a consistent source of energy, which will make you feel less hungry. On the other hand, simple carbohydrates, which are commonly found in sweets, chocolate and other sugary foods, digest much quicker and do not make you feel full for as long.
For your protein needs, you should consider sources that are low in saturated fats. Although popular fast foods like burgers and hotdogs contain high levels of protein, they are also high in fat and calories and are best avoided. The leanest high protein foods are found in many common fish products, such as tuna and salmon. For example, a typical can of regular tuna contains more than 30 grams of lean protein and just a couple of grams of fat. Other great protein sources include chicken, soy protein and whey protein – a popular post-workout energy drink for bodybuilders.
With each meal you should include at least one serving of fresh fruit or vegetables. Whether this is a serving of chopped bananas, a small apple or a small glass of fruit juice (from concentrate), each serving will fuel your body with the nutrition it needs to remain in a healthy condition. However, if you are the sort of person who usually avoids fruit and vegetables, try to incorporate them into your favourite foods. For example, if you’re a fan of meaty sandwiches, try to include some green salad or lettuce to boost the nutritional content. Eat as many servings of fruit and vegetables as you can digest to help your immune system and your body to remain in top condition.Water
Last but not least, don’t forget to keep yourself regularly hydrated at all times. Combat sports can be particularly dehydrating because people lose large volumes of water when their bodies sweat. Drink a full bottle of water directly after your session and try to drink around 2 litres of water each day. It is also important to note that many high protein weight gainers can dehydrate the body and put more stress on the kidneys. Therefore, you need to keep your fluid intake high throughout the day, particularly before, during and after an intense workout session. If you fail to keep yourself properly hydrated, you are at risk of exhaustion and serious illness.
With a healthy and balanced diet, your body will have all the energy and the nutrition
it will need in order to perform at its best. All thats left is rest, don’t cheap out on a good bed, you spend a large portion of your life in bed so make it a good one. Don’t forget a good lazy boy or my personal favorite, a nice sectional sofa between your workouts to help maximise your recovery.